Independent report examines Whatcom County handling of workplace harassment
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- Survey shows 63% of Whatcom County employees distrust harassment process
- $100,000 report reveals widespread fear of retaliation, lack of training
- County HR updated policies, software and training to address report findings
An independent report that examined Whatcom County policies to address workplace harassment shows that many employees are unhappy with how complaints are investigated, they distrust the process, and they fear retaliation for speaking up.
Almost half of Whatcom County’s approximately 1,200 workers answered questions in a survey related to the report, which the County Council commissioned in 2024 following revelations that former Public Works Director Jon Hutchings was allowed to resign in 2022 while facing sexual harassment allegations.
Authors of that 102-page report shared their findings Tuesday afternoon at a meeting of the County Council’s Committee of the Whole.
Councilman Ben Elenbaas said he was “super-impressed” in the report, and felt that the sheer number of county employees who responded to the survey should send a message that change is needed.
“Just that number in particular should send up red flags. Because if everyone was happy, no one would be giving their input,” Elenbaas said.
A total of $100,000 was budgeted for the report, which was conducted by Matrix Consulting Group of San Mateo, Calif. Alan Pennington of Matrix gave an overview of the report Tuesday.
According to the presentation on Tuesday, 1,182 Whatcom County employees were asked to provide “anonymous input into the study” through a survey and 559 of them agreed to participate.
Of those 559 employees, 107 said they had reported an issue to Human Resources:
- 44% were dissatisfied with the timeliness of investigation process.
- 63% were dissatisfied with the overall process.
- 65% were dissatisfied with the outcome.
- 57% feared retaliation if they reported their concerns to Human Resources Department officials.
County Council members requested the report in response to their concerns over the handling of the departure of Hutchings, a county payout of $225,000 to his alleged victim, and the apparent secrecy regarding the incident. Several County Council members were angry that they hadn’t been told about the incident.
Among supervisors, the report found that:
- 27% said that they weren’t trained or prepared to handle their duties.
- 28% were unclear about harassment reporting requirements.
- 28% did not feel supported by Human Resources officials in addressing workplace complaints. There were differences based on gender, according to the report.
“In general, female supervisors felt less comfortable, less trained, and less supported in their roles,” Pennington said.
Almost all supervisors (98%) understood their obligations, according to the report. Most supervisors (85%) had received training on their responsibilities and 89% felt confident in supporting employees’ complaints.
“Employees generally responded positively regarding supervisory preparedness and and action in addressing workplace issues,” according to the report.
In a separate presentation Tuesday, the county’s Human Resources Department director shared steps that her department has taken in the past year to help workers understand workplace harassment and how they can respond to it.
Human Resources has standardized the investigative process, updated its policies to clearly define prohibited behaviors, added NeoGov software for training employees and expanded harassment training to include bystander intervention training, Director Melissa Keeley told the council.
“The updated polices will provide a much better framework for clarity, legal and best practice alignment, employee protection and support and improved accountability,” Keeley said.
This story was originally published September 24, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
